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The Urban Water Atlas for Europe constitutes an original overview of Urban Water Management in Europe, explain- ing and illustrating water in an unprecedented way and reflecting how water, the essence of life, flows through the arteries of our cities. Leading experts in water sciences and technologies, together with climate change researchers, have joined artists and children in order to show how thirsty our cities really are and how we can cope with their growing demand for the most precious resource of our planet. The result is the first major publication of the Sci- ence and Knowledge Service of the European Commission, the JRC, which within a movement stemming from its Sci-Art Programme seeks to explore the important opportunities arising from the cross-fertilisation between science and art. The Atlas itself establishes the benchmark for over 40 cities, both European and from farther afield, in 30 different countries, in a manner which permits a vast range of municipalities to confront one of the greatest global challenges by employing local solutions in order to ensure a supply of water for all. It contains 95 scientific indicators and parameters, over 700 graphs, original illustrations and never seen before photographs and combines the work of 40 contributors from 22 organisations. Yet, the true value of this publication lies in the process of ensuring thatthe underlying scientific knowledge is available for societal uptake. The resolving of conflicts which stem from an exclusive self-understanding of traditional natural sciences, the difficulty to communicate the purpose of technological solutions and the challenge to engage in peer-to-peer discussion between the sciences, politics and the citizen constitute worthy lessons for both environmental experts and their social science counterparts.

The article discusses the importance of establishing a global wastewater surveillance consortium for pandemic preparedness. Wastewater surveillance is a cost-effective method for assessing COVID-19 infection, as infected individuals shed the virus into sewer systems. The article highlights a study in Japan that found a strong correlation between the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and the number of reported cases. Wastewater surveillance can also be used to identify specific variants of the virus. The article proposes incorporating wastewater surveillance into international and regulatory frameworks, such as the WHO, to create a global infectious disease surveillance system. The EU is already establishing an international wastewater monitoring consortium, but more countries need to participate for it to be effective. The consortium could share experiences and protocols and support monitoring in low-income countries. [Extracted from the article]

The atmospheric deposition of mercury (Hg) occurs via several mechanisms including dry and wet scavenging by precipitation events. In an effort to understand the atmospheric cycling and seasonal depositional characteristics of Hg, wet deposition samples were collected for approximately five years at 17 selected GMOS monitoring sites located in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres in the framework of the Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS) project. Total mercury (THg) exhibited annual and seasonal patterns in Hg wet deposition samples. Inter-annual differences in total wet deposition are mostly linked with precipitation volume, with the greatest deposition flux occurring in the wettest years. This data set provides a new insight into baseline concentrations of THg concentrations in precipitation worldwide, particularly in regions, such as the Southern Hemisphere and tropical areas where wet deposition as well as atmospheric Hg species were not investigated before, opening the way for future and additional simultaneous measurements across the GMOS network as well as new findings in future modeling studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We give examples of the application of the concepts and the philosophy of reference matrices, which were developed within the IUPAC Project on reference soils. These reference matrices are intended for assessing extrinsic properties of chemicals. We show how reference matrices, together with well-established reference substances, form a harmonized testing system. This allows laboratory findings to be extrapolated, via the use of appropriate models, to real processes defining the pathways and the fate of environmental chemicals. Well-defined reference matrices increase environmental realism in chemical-risk assessment. Given increasing globalization and implementation of new legislation, most notably in Europe [new chemical regulation (REACH), the Water Framework Directive and the newly established Soil Framework Directive], there is even greater need for well-defined reference matrices. There is also a parallel need to test the environmental fate and the effects of chemicals and of new materials (e.g., artificial nanoparticles). We therefore foresee that, apart from terrestrial reference matrices, guidance on additional reference matrices (e.g., sediment and even biological materials) is an issue for further research. We outline suitable guidelines for selecting such matrices. However, we note that agreement on the optimal application of reference matrices and the interpretation of the results obtained in tests using reference materials needs to be reached between scientists, risk assessors, reference laboratories and international standardization organizations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

During recent years, the awareness of quality assurance and quality control in environmental analyses has constantly increased, especially due to the implementation of new guidelines and regulations at both the national and international level. Achieving comparable results by using certified reference materials is one of the primary concerns of the scientific community. As a result, there is a growing demand for certified reference materials to cover different matrices and pollutants. Moreover, these CRMs should be in close relationship to the determinants and target concentrations required by environmental bodies and European Directives as well. Supplementary information to this paper presents an inventory of reference materials available on the market from different suppliers against the priority pollutants listed in the Water Framework Directive. These CRMs cover matrices such as water, sediment and biota. The use of CRMs in relationship to appropriate analytical methods and relevant determinants is discussed and the need for matrix-CRMs, particularly for organic pollutants is emphasised. The use of proficiency testing schemes as an alternative for the lack of appropriate CRMs and future trends in the production of CRMs within the BCR framework are also discussed.